Study Shows New Parents Consume More Alcohol

A new study found that parents are drinking more than usual after the birth of their first child. The news about increased alcohol intake is thought to be a threat to the crucial parent-child relationship when the baby is a newborn.

According to the The Drinks Business, the study released by 4Children, a children's charity, found that 17% of parents drink more alcohol after their first baby is born. Additionally 40% of parents don't attempt to cut down on their drinking when the baby is born.

The charity is concerned about interactions between parents and newborns at a very important time in the child's life. The chief executive of 4Children, Anne Longfield, stated, "Families need help to make the right decisions around drink and substance use." Longfield also believes that the alcohol industry should have a responsibility to help parents cut down on their drinking.

The study found that 22% of new mothers increased their drinking after their first child. New fathers drink more than mothers with 40% drinking a few times a week. Some parents (28% of mothers and 13% of fathers) admitted to drinking every day.

Ultimately, the statistic that worried the charity most was that half of the parents who had been surveyed said, "they did not believe their use of drugs or alcohol had any effect on their family." While this does seem alarming, one apparent flaw in the study is that the amount of alcohol isn't called into question. Are the parents having a glass of wine with dinner? Or are they becoming too intoxicated to properly care for their child?